BOGOTÁ, Colombia, June 25 (World Daily Times) — Abelardo de la Espriella won Colombia’s presidential runoff by a narrow margin, preliminary election results showed, after leftist rival Iván Cepeda conceded and said he would accept the outcome while continuing to allege foreign interference and vote manipulation.
Colombia’s election authorities reported de la Espriella ahead with about 49.7% of the vote, compared with about 48.7% for Cepeda, according to the preliminary count cited in coverage from multiple outlets. The final certification status was not shown in the material provided.
In a concession speech, Cepeda said he had decided to accept the result emerging from the count and called that decision “an act of democratic responsibility.” He also alleged improper foreign interference, including by the United States and President Donald Trump, and said artificial intelligence had been used to manipulate voters.
President Gustavo Petro had earlier questioned the preliminary count on X and called for an audit of the voting software, saying the pre-count results were not enough to declare a winner. He did not provide evidence in the post cited in the coverage.
De la Espriella, a lawyer and political outsider known as “El Tigre,” had never held elected office before the campaign. He ran on a hardline security message, promising a military offensive against illegal armed groups and drug trafficking, and said he would build 10 maximum-security “mega-prisons.”
He also promised to make criminals disappear “like rats and cockroaches,” according to his campaign remarks reported in the coverage. The new president is scheduled to take office on Aug. 7.
